Furnace construction



1941- H. w. BSEECHE R 2,251,910

FURNACE CONSTRUCTION Filed May.l3, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORATTORNEY Aug. 12, 1941. w, BEECHER 215L910 FURNACE CONSTRUCTION FiledMay 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Q $5 H. w. swa /7E5? ATTORNEY PatentedAug. 12, 1941 artistsrUaNAcacoNsranc'rroN Henry IV.

Gladding McBean & Glimpa-ny,

Beecher, Seattle, Wash, assignor to Seattle, Wash,

a corpcrationoi California 7 Application May 13, 1939, Serial No.273,545

16 Claims. (Cl. 7r3101) This invention relates to improvements infurnace construction, and it has reference more particularly to furnaceshaving heat resisting walls comprising refractory tiles suspended from,or supported by a metallic frame-work located at the outside of therefractories.

More specifically, the present invention relates to the details ofconstruction and combination of refractories for a furnaceside wall, andin the assembly and relationship of these refractories with asupporting. framework including special beams for attachment and supportof. the refractories; it being the principal object of the presentinvention to provide a furnace side wall construction that is especiallysuited for use as a Water wall backing, and from which wall structure,damaged refractories may be removed, for replacement, from the outsideof the furnace through the frame or casing, without interference by thewater tubes and without disturbing the refractories other than thoseimmediately adjacent the one being replaced in the Wall structure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wallstructure which employs refractories, or tile, of a minimum number ofdifferent shapes; which refractories are easily and readily assembledwith the supporting structure in the building of a wall, and whereby, intheir assembled relationship, all wall joints between refractories bothhorizontal and vertical, will be effectively sealed by the overlappingof parts, constituting broken joints.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision ofrefractories of the above character designed to accommodate a framestructure of such special form as to provide for positively retainingthe refractories against inward displacement from the supports andwherein removable keepers, or keys are utilized to retain therefractories against outward displacement; the keepers b ing manuallyremovable when it is desired to release a refractory for removal andreplacement.

A further object of the invention is to provide for a quick easy removalof any tile from the wall by withdrawing it outwardly, and which doesnot require in its withdrawal that it be moved or tilted inwardly beyondthe plane of the inside surface ofthe wall lining.

Still other objects of the invention reside in the details ofconstruction, and in the combination of parts constituting the wall, aswill hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 isanelevation of a section of the wall structure, as seen from the insideof a furnace.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional View of the furnace wall structure takenon line 2-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig, 3. is an elevation of av section, of the Wall.

structure as viewed from the outside, but omit.- ting the outside,insulating wall or casing,

Fig. 4 is a horizontalsection taken on the line- 47-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the two refractories used in the presentwall construction.

Figs. 6 and. '7. are plan views of the two refractories, respectively.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a part of one of the horizontal framemembers or supporting beams.

Before going into the detailed description of the present furnace, itwill be stated that various items are essential. First, it is desirablethat there be as few different shapes of tile as possible, and that theshapes employedv shall be. easy and inexpensive to manufacture.Secondly, it is essential also that the tile be of such constructionthat in their assembled condition, an effective seal will. be formedagainst infiltration. Thirdly, when it is desired that the wall be usedas a backing for water walls, it is essential that provision be made forwithdrawal of the retrac tories. from the outsideof the furnace sincethe water wall, in many cases, would prevent their being inwardlydisplaced. Furthermore, it is veryv essential that provision be made forexpansion of the wall both horizontally and vertically and it ispreferable that the weight be kept as low as. practicable. These pointshave been kept in mind in the present instance, as will be apparent fromthe following description.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- As herein illustrated, thepresent side wall construction comprises a structural steel framework onwhich the refractories are assembled as an inside lining for the furnaceand as a protection to theframework. This framework, in its pre ferreddesign, comprises vertical structural members It, whichmay be I-beams,channels, T- beams, or the like, of a strength adequate for theirintended use, and spaced at such intervals along the wall as foundconsistent with good practise and as calculated to carry thesuperimposed loadings. Fixed to the vertical columns H] at the insideedges, are horizontal beams ll,

of special form, presently to be described, and spaced at regular,vertical intervals for the support of the present refractories thereon.Fixed to the outside of the columns Ill, are horizontal beams IIIa onwhich a wall is built up of insulating bricks I3, as in Fig. 2, thisconstituting the casing.

In the present instance, the refractories constituting the lining arearranged in horizontal courses, each course being supported upon one ofthe horizontal beams II, with alternate tile in the course interlockedat their upper ends with the next higher beam, as hereinafter explained.

In the building of the present furnace wall, only two different shapesof refractories, or tile, are employed and tile embodying these twoshapes have been shown in perspective view in Fig. 5. For convenience inthis description, these two refractories, or tiles, will be designated,respectively,'by reference characters F and B. In the description ofthese refractories, the outside will have reference to that side facingtoward the outside of the furnace, while the term inside will designatethe surface facing toward the inside of the furnace.

The tile here designated by reference character F comprises one solid,integral piece, embodying what will be referred to as inner and outersections, I5 and I5, respectively, the relationship of which will bestbe understood by reference to the plan view in Fig. 6. g The outersection I6 is of rectangular outline in horizontal cross section, but isof lesser width than the inner section I5 and is symmetrically locatedrelative thereto thus to providethat the opposite side surfaces I! ofthe section l6 are inwardly, or laterally offset from the side surfaceI8 of section I5.

The inner surface I9 of section I5 and the outer surface 20 of sectionI6 of this tile F lie in parallel planes. Likewise, the opposite sidesurfaces I'I-II' and I8I8"of the sections of the refractory are inparallel planes, which planes are perpendicular to the planes of theinner and outer surfaces. Furthermore, there are no irregularities inany of these surfaces, and this is of material advantage in themanufacture of these tile, as will bereadily understood by personsfamiliar with the art..

Viewing the tile F in section, as seen in Fig. 2, it will be observedthat the upper and lower end surfaces 2| and 2|" of the section I5 whichform the horizontal joints between the adjacent ends of tile in nextadjacent courses, are equally inclined downwardly and outwardly towardthe supporting frame structure, and also that the upper and lower endsurfaces 22 and 22 of the sections I6 are likewise downwardly andoutwardly sloped. It will further be note-d that the section I '8extends somewhat below the lower end surface 2I' of section I5 and that,at its upper end, it terminates short of the upper end surface 2I of thesection.-

Another detail of construction in refractory F resides in the provisionof a transverse, upwardly opening notch or channel 23 in the upper endsurface of the section I6, adjacent the upwardly extending portion ofthe section l5, thus providing for reception of means for anchoring theupper end of the tile in place, as will presently be explained.

The refractory B is substantially the reverse in, cross sectional shapeof refractory F, as best understood by reference to Figs. 6 and 7. Thistile comprises an inner section 25'and an outer 25 are sloped tocorrespond to the slope of the two end surfaces of the adjacent tile,and it will be observed that section 25 is offset below the section 25to correspond to the relationship of the sections I5 and I6 of tile F.Also, it is to be noted that the upper end surface 23 of section 26 iscut away along the outside corner to provide a recess 29 to accommodatethe horizontal shelf of the next adjacent upper beam of the supportingframe, as seen in Fig. 2.

The inner and outer surfaces 3! and 32 of the tile B lie in parallelplanes, as also do the opposite side surfaces 33-33' and 3434', and inthickness and overall width and length, the two tile F and B are equal,as here shown, but this is not essential and may vary so long asconsistent with this invention.

The dimensions and design of these two tile provides that, in theirbeing assembled in a furnace wall, alternately, in a horizontal course,they will interfit, as noted in Fig. 4, with all vertical joints sealedby reason of the overlapping of the opposite side portions of sectionsI5 of refractories F with the side portions of the section 26 of therefractories B.

It is further to be observed that in the placement of the refractories Fand B alternately in horizontal courses in the furnace wall, they aresupported by contact of the lower end surfaces of sections It and 26resting upon the horizontal beams II. It will be noted in Fig. 2 thatthe horizontal beams have vertical flanges Ila of a depth to providedesired strength through which bolts 35 are applied to attach them tothe vertical supporting columns I I), and that each has an upwardly andinwardly sloping flange I lb forming a shelf upon which the lower endsof the refractories rest. The slope of these latter flanges correspondsto the slope of the lower end surfaces of the refractories and is ofsuch degree as to prevent inward displacement of the tile from theshelf. Furthermore, this slope affords gravity retention of the tile onthe supports.

It is further to be observed that at regular intervals along the edgesof the flanges II b of beams I I, there are downwardly formed hooks 38adapted to extend into the notches 23 in the upper ends of therefractories F to retain these tile against inward tipping at theirupper ends. Note also that there are keeper openings 39 through theflanges II b in which keepers or pins 45 are inserted as stops forpreventing outward displacement of the lower ends of B tiles from thesupporting flange IIb. These keepers may be of sufficient length toextend through the beam and overlap the upper end portion of the tilesof the next lower course, as an aligning and holding means, as noted inFig. 2. It will be understood, by reference to Fig. 1, that in theassembly of refractories in successive horizontal courses, therefractories F and B of adjacent courses alternate in verticalalinement, and the upper end portions of the sections I5 of therefractories F overlap the lower end portions of sections: 26' of. therefractories. B. Likewise, the upper end portions! ofsections 2510f.theirefra'c+ tories B overlapv the lower end portionsoffsections 16 ofthe refractorieslE, thus providing a seal of all horizontal. joints;v

Viewing. the wall, as seenin Fig..4',.it:wil1 be noted: that both kinds.of: tile are: substantially what mightbe calledl T shaped in: crosssection, and since they are. alternately. reversediizr posi'-- tion,they provide the overlap: or'breaking ofi the vertical joints: between'them.. Also, it will be understood that withv the F tile positivelyanchored atithei'riupperiends againsti both outward and inward tilting,the .B' tile will consequently rbe anchored against outward: tilting by/reason of the inside overlap of. their. upper end: portions across thesupporting" beam. of the next higher course, andiwill b'esustained.againsttinwarditilt ingby reason of the overlap of their: sideedges with-the sideedges of ithe E tile.

Furthermore; the .lower ends of all .tllSSiiIl any course. arepositively held: against. inwarda dis, placement,.by reason'sof th slopeofthe shelf. on which theyrest' and alsoby reason-of'the: fact that theyhave. downwardly stepped lower end portions overlapped: by. upwardlystepped upper end portions. of'the. anchored tile in.the next lowercourse, and. all will be heldagainstioutward displacement by reasonofthe; use of the keeperst-fl which directlyengagethe tile'B and thusindirectly retain the tile F since they. are overlapped by the tile'B.

The tile, as seen in side view, presentiparallel inside and outsidesurfaces and thesezsurfa'ces are flush in the assembled'wall; Note alsoithat each of the tile has the downwardly. stepped portion across theoutside of its' lower. end surface, which rests upon the shelffof:thesupporting beam ll, andthat at th upper' end: of each tile there isthe upwardly steppediportiont across the outside of the end surface,which overlaps, at the inside of the wall with thezdownwardly steppedportions of tile of. the next higher: course. By reason of the slope ofthe: shelf: portion. of

the beams, and the stepping of the lower end surfaces of the tile' asshown, the outward withdrawal of the tile, without interference by thebeams and without requiringdisplacement of the tile inside of the planeof the lining, ispos'sible.

With the wall so-constructed, should it be-desired to withdraw anyof theB refractories, it is only necessary to withdrawa keeper' lll from theflange of the supporting beam back of the tile to be removed, then: topull. the bottom edge of the tile outwardly. As it moves outwardly, theupper endwill move downwardly and thus dis engage itself from the hook38 engaged with-its upper end; the tile, in its removal,passingsuccessively through the dotted linepositions-shown in Fig. 2; Itis to be noted.that,.at no'timeduring removal, is the tile required: tobe extended inwardly beyond the plane. of inside surface of the furnacewall, and thus will not interfere with the water wall tubes. when theconstruction is used as an encasement for water cooled wall areas.

In the removal of a tile F, it is required-first to remove an adjacent Btile, then the F tile is shifted laterally into the clear of theadjacent tile and is outwardly withdrawn as was the-B tile; it beingrequired that a clear space be provided in order that the side edgeflange of tile F can be displaced from back of the adjacent B tile.

Inthis arrangement of refractories, expansion joints can be. providedwhere necessary as is designatedibyv the heavy verticallin 4am Fig. 1;

Also, suitable packing could be placed where necessary or: desirable in:the joint:- to make a better seal,. for. example as indicated at 45- inFig. 2.

It: is also. contemplated; that heat insulation may: be used=inzconjunction with this wall construction". where. the inside temperatureof the furnace warrants. its use. Such insulation may be' disposeddirectly behind the refractories as indicated at1520 in Fig; 2. It is tobe understood that. heat will. travel' much. slower through thisinsulation than through the refractories B and F; and: that a muchhighertemperature' may be safely maintainedwhen such insulation is used.In: this-:usev of? insulation, the outer portion of the: flange Ilashould not be covered; butshould be exposedto. the air, the heat being,conducted from the tilerefractories to their supporting beams'l-Landdissipated from the flange Ila. to theair which circulatesthereby.

Bythis construction, all joints-are closed and the framework isadequately protected; the objects and advantagespreviously mentionedhave been-obtained'in a practical manner.

It is. obvious. that such: refractories. and wall construction arecapable of modification withe out departing from the invention, andtherefore, it isnot intended that the-appended claims shall limit theinvention to; the details ofv construction, but that they shall be givenan interpretation commensurate with the spirit and. scope of. theinvention disclosed.

Having thus described my invention, what. I claim as-new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent isl; In a furnacewall, incombination, aframe structure including vertically spaced horizontalbeams and a refractory lining at the inside of the frame structurecomprisingztiles arranged in horizontal. courses, with each course.supported upon-one of said beams; the tiles of each course resting attheir lower ends upon'one of. the supporting beams and adaptedforoutwarddisplacement therefrom for removal from the'wall, and havingtheir upper end portions overlapped with thelower end'portionsof tilesof the next higher courseacross the inside-of the supporting beam forthat course, to be sustained thereby. against outward tilting; alternatetiles of each course having. holding contact at their upper ends withthe-frame-beams for sustaining the course against inward-tilting andreleasablefrom said holding contact by the outward and downwarddisplacementof. their lower ends from their supporting beam, and theintermediate tilesof the courses having side edge portions overlappedwith the side edge portions of the said alternate tiles, to normally:sustain them against inward displacement,.and the alternatetiles-against outward displacement.

2. In afurnace'wall, in combination, a frame structure includingvertically spaced, horizontal beams and a refractory lining comprisingtiles arranged in horizontal courses and supported on said-beams; thetiles'of each-course having upper end portions overlapped with the lowerend. portions of the tiles of the next higher course'across the insideof the supporting'beam for that course; alternate tiles of each coursehaving holding, contact at their upper ends with the supporting beam:for the next higher course'to sustain the course tilesagainst inwardtilting; and: the in-- termediate tiles having outside overlap alongtheir side edges with the side edges of the said alternate tiles,andmeans applied to the supporting beams to engage the lower ends of thesaid intermediate tiles to normally'retain the lower end of the coursetiles against outward displacement from their supporting beam.

3. In a furnace wall, in combination, a frame structure includingvertically spaced, horizontal beams and a refractory lining com-prisingtiles arranged in horizontal courses and supported on said beams; thetiles of each course having upper end portions overlapped with the lowerend portions of the tiles of the next higher course across the inside ofthe supporting beam for that course, alternate tiles'of each coursehaving holding contact at their upper ends with the supporting beam forthe next higher course to sustain the course tiles against inwardtilting, and the intermediate tiles having outside overlap along theirside edges with the side edges of the said alternate tiles, keepersremovably applied to the supporting beams to engage the lower ends ofthe said intermediate tiles to retain them normally against outwarddisplacement.

4. In a furnace wall, in combination, a frame structure includingvertically spaced horizontal beams and a refractory lining at the insideof the frame structure comprising tiles arranged in horizontal coursesand supported at their lower ends on said beams for outward displacementtherefrom in their removal from the wall; each tile having a downwardlystepped portion across the outside of its lower endresting on thesupporting beam, and having an upwardly stepped portion across theinside of its upper end overlapped, across the supporting beam of thenext higher course, with the downwardly stepped portions of the tile ofthe next higher course and providing flush surfaces at the inside of thelining, each alternate tile of a course having opposite side edgeportions overlapping the side edges of the adjacent intermediate tile atthe inside of the wall to provide broken vertical joints, and having atransverse channel in its upper end, and said beams having dependinghooks at spaced intervals for projecting into said channels to sustainthe course against inward tilting.

5. In a furnace wall, in combination, a frame structure includingvertically spaced horizontal beams, each with a downwardly and outwardlysloping shelf, with hooks depending, at regular intervals from its inneredge, and a refractory lining at the inside of the frame structure comprising tile arranged in horizontal courses and supported at their lowerends on said beams; each tile having a downwardly stepped lower endsurface across its outer portion sloped in accordance with the slope ofthe supporting shelf and resting thereon, and having an upwardly steppedupper end portion overlapping the downwardly stepped lower end portionof the tile of the next higher course across the inside of thesupporting beam for said next higher course, alternate tiles of eachcourse having upper end recesses to receive the hooks depending from thebeam for the next higher course, to prevent inward tilting of the tile,and keepers applied to the shelf to retain the tile against outwarddisplacement at their lower ends. 1 a

6. A furnace wall as in claim 5, wherein the upper and lower endsurfaces of all tile are sloped in accordance with the outward anddownward slope of the shelf portions of the supporting beams and whereinthe tile are disengageable from the said hooks by outward and downwardmovement of the lower ends of the tiles on their supporting shelfs andwithout displacement of the tile inside the plane of the lining.

'7. A wall tile comprising integral inner and outer sections ofrectangular cross section, with opposite side surfaces of both sectionsin parallel planes; the outer section being the narrower, and having itsopposite side surfaces symmetrically offset within the side surfaces ofthe inner section, and the inner section being offset at its oppositeends above the ends of the outer section, and the upper end surface ofthe outer section being provided with a transverse channel.

8. A tile as in claim 7 wherein the opposite end surfaces of thesections are all similarly sloped downwardly toward the outside of thetile.

9. A wall tile comprising integral inner and outer sections, ofrectangular cross section with opposite side surfaces in parallelplanes; the outer section being of greater width and having its sidesurfaces symmetrically offset from the side surfaces of the innersection, and the inner section being offset at its opposite ends abovethe corresponding ends of the outer section, and the upper end surfaceof the outer section is formed with a down stepped offset across itsouter edge.

10. A tile as in claim 9 wherein the upper and lowerfend surfaces ofboth sections are similarly sloped downwardly toward the outside of thetile.

11. In a furnace wall, a frame including vertically spaced horizontalbeams, a horizontal course of tile closing the space between adjacentbeams, each tile of the course resting at its lower ends on one of thebeams, for outward displacement only in its removal from the wall,alternate tile having holdingcontact at their upper ends with the nexthigher beam, and releasable incident to outward and downwarddisplacement of their lower ends from the supporting beam, and theintermediate tile of the course having holding'contact at its upper endwith the next higher beam and provided with opposite side edge portionsoverlapped with the side edge portions of adjacent tile, to hold thelatter against outward displacement.

12. In a furnace wall, a frame including vertically spaced horizontalbeams, a horizontal course of tile filling the space between beams,

all tile of the course being supported at their lower ends on one beamand adapted only for one-way displacement therefrom in removal from thewall, each alternate tile of the course having a retaining interlock atits upper end with the next higher beam and held thereby against inwardor outward tilting and releasable therefrom incident to the displacementfrom and downward movement of the lower end of the tile from itssupporting beam; the intermediate tile having opposite side edgeportions overlapping the adjacent side edges of the said alternate tileto break joints and retain the said alternate tile from being displacedfrom the supporting beam and means removable from the frame normallyretaining the lower ends of the said intermediate tile againstdisplacement from the supporting beams.

13. In a furnace wall, a frame including vernext higher course, andreleasable therefrom incident to displacement of its lower end from itssupporting beam, and each of the other tile of that course being ofanother shape and having a portion at its upper end in contact with thesupporting beam of the next higher course for retaining that end againstoutward displacement and having opposite side edge portions overlappedwith the side edges of said alternate tile to retain the latter againstoutward displacement from their supporting beam, and keepers removablyapplied to the beams to retain the tile of the second shape in position;the tiles of successive courses being arranged in vertical rows and tileof one shape alternating with those of the other shape.

14. In a furnace wall, a fram structure including Vertically spacedhorizontal beams with fiat, outwardly and downwardly sloping topsurfaces, and a refractory lining at the inside of the frame structurecomprising tiles arranged in single, horizontal courses between adjacentbeams; each tile having a sloping bottom surface seated flatly upon thetop surface of its supporting beam for outward and downward displacementof the tile from the frame; alternate tile in the course having outsideoverlap along their side edges with adjacent tile to retain the latteragainst outward displacement on the supporting beam and keys applied tothe supporting beam and normally retaining the said alternate tileagainst outward displacement.

15. A furnace wall as recited in claim 14 wherein the said alternatetile in the course have upper end portions overlapping the next highersupporting beam across the inside edge thereof and wherein the saidadjacent tile have interlock at their upper ends with the next higherbeam, displaceable only by outward and downward displacement of theirlower end portions from the supporting beam.

16. A wall tile comprising integral inner and out-er sections ofdifferent width and of the same length and wherein the opposite sideportions of the Wider section extend equally beyond the opposite sidesurfaces of the narrower section and wherein the sections are offsetendwise, providing that each extends at one end beyond the end of theother section, and wherein opposite end surfaces of the two sections aresimilarly sloped downwardly toward the outside surface of the tile.

HENRY W. BEECHER.

